Bitter Hot Chocolate
by Rambling Naiad
Summary: New Year’s Eve one-shot. She is wishing for salvation in the drowning dark depths of her depression and out of this darkness, he comes and saves her.


Disclaimer: Do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon  
  
Author's Note: This is a one-shot New Year's Eve fic. Ami/Trowa. This is also the most amount of fluffable fluff that I can write and it still has some dark thoughts and moments ::sigh::  
  
Read the fanfic works of SilverCaladan because she is the coolest girl around and the one who is always showing me the error of my writing! ^^  
  
Okay, I have no clue what the streets of Tokyo look like or their clubs or whatever else is in this story, but I do know my area. I highly doubt that Tokyo's crime is as bad as I make it out to be, but since I have no idea what it really is like, I just set it more like the area I live in. So basically, I am setting this story in a location that I know best, which is what people always tell you to do ("write what you know"). I hope no one minds.  
  
Warning: depression sort of at the beginning and an almost rape encounter.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Bitter Hot Chocolate  
  
~a one-shot by Naiad~  
  
It was sticky and sweaty; not much of a place to be celebrating the last day of this year. Pushing between bodies of dancers, she felt sweat streaming down her forehead and the sweat of others being wiped on her exposed arms. A small smile appeared, and she gave a slight wave to brown- haired girl who was currently taking another sip of her beer. Beside her were two lovers talking to each other, exchanging tender smiles as they enjoyed being in one another's embrace. A little off in the distance was a blonde-haired girl with a red bow in her hair, making-out with some random guy that she had just met. Smirking at their actions, she wondered if she should go over there and stop them. Deciding against it, knowing that her friend wanted to make the best of this day, she glanced around, wondering where her last friend was. Over many bobbing heads, she finally saw a glance of purplish black hair that was obviously having a fun time in the crowd.  
  
Continuing forward, she finally found the exit, slipped past the people entering and broke out into the cold air. The lower forties temperature felt good against her hot skin for about 30 seconds, and then she started to freeze. Rather then going back in to that steamy jungle, she decided she would rather spend New Year's Eve at home - under her warm blankets. Of course, that meant walking home in this freezing weather because she would have had to wait longer in the cold for the bus to pass by.  
Wrapping her arms tightly around her body, she now regretted wearing the sleeveless blue dress that barely reached her knees. She had just hoped earlier that somehow, something, someone would have made her life more meaningful. All this past year her life had been focused on becoming a doctor; she needed to become one now that it appeared Crystal Tokyo wasn't gone happen. Not to mention that all of the Sailor Soldiers had lost their powers for unknown reasons, and so she needed a career.  
  
This whole year had been one big downer. Her mother had become even more lost in her work at the hospital and her father had stopped sending her paintings. Her friends had become more distant, or maybe she had been more distant to them. But in reality, nothing kept them connected now except for the remembrance of how close they were in the past. But Minako had called wanting a get-together, which was how she had ended up at this club tonight. Her long time boyfriend had dumped her a few months ago, saying that he needed more in a relationship than a totally studious, serious girl. She knew she was becoming depressed, that life was just pushing her down more and more and she didn't know where to escape to. The world itself had seemed to be going down. Down, down, into the darkness and she saw no hope for the future. No hope in life.  
  
She didn't even understand why anyone would want to celebrate the beginning of a new year. This New Year would be exactly the same as the last; nothing would change except a new number in the corner of the calendar, and a few people who actually followed their New Years' resolutions.  
  
Turning down a street, she stopped that line of thought. The streets weren't that dark, thanks to the shining street lamps, but she had finally remembered why she didn't like walking alone at night. She always had the feeling that something bad might happen to her; that some person might grab her and the next morning, if she was still alive, she would be bruised and beaten and never the same again. Of course, nothing like that ever happened to her, but she had been having this feeling for years.  
  
Gulping, she willed herself forward, telling herself that it wasn't that far to her apartment. Every step she took, images popped into her mind. That of an innocent civilian being shot in the crossfire of some gang war. An image of a drug dealer that was killed just a few blocks away from her. A family that was murdered due to their mafia connection. Thousands of posters flooded her mind that she had seen all her life about a new rapist out and wandering the streets. Posters of rapists and molesters and perverts that were never caught and whose posters remained on poles and walls for years to come.  
  
Then, like it came right out of her thoughts, an unknown man turned onto the street she was on, just about two blocks ahead. The darkness mixed with the glow of street lights gave him an eerie-glowing look. She decided to cross the street then. Aware of the dangerous thoughts running around her brain just a bit earlier, she crossed the street to walk past this mysterious jogging stranger.  
  
Crossing, she found herself in a dark patch of the block and she was shocked when a hand grabbed her mouth and another one grabbed her waist harshly, pulling her into an alley. She struggled, trying to scream but then she felt lips on her neck and when the putrid smell grew, she froze. Her eyes widened, and terror blocked out all logic as she felt something hard press against her backside. She had always thought of herself as a strong, smart girl but this time she didn't know what to do. Her worst fear had come true. Humanity really had lost all sense of value. They had no hope of salvation, even on the night before the new false beginning.  
  
She closed her eyes, wishing that this foul creature would stop kissing her neck and that she would be back at the club, daydreaming. A breeze blew by, and double chills went up and down her spine; the cold said that this was real. One of his hands started to move downward, under the neckline of her dress and towards her breasts, and that was when she realized she needed to get out of there. Fast. Pushing terror aside, she tried to re-use her intellectual mind and try to fight, but that was when she felt the man's hands and body go limp.  
  
He was unconscious and from behind his limp body stepped a tall young man. Pushing her into the light of a street lamp, he looked her over with one uncovered green eye. "Are you okay?" Nodding, she found herself on the brink of tears. Soon, the waves of emotions felt during the near-rape encounter came flooding back to her and the tears began to roll down her cheeks. Her body began to brutally tremble and her knees began to weaken. She started to sink towards the ground, when the stranger grabbed her arms, causing her to flinch and stand back up straight. Letting go of her immediately, he kept a worried eye on her. She started to sink back down, as quiet tears rolled even more down her cheek. Soon, she was sitting on the cement ground, face in her hand, and her body shaking fiercely. He sat down next to her, and slowly wrapped his arms around her shoulder, cautiously making sure she was all right with it. "Everything will be okay now," he whispered into her arms. This only caused her to start sobbing even more, and begin rocking herself back and forth.  
  
Minutes passed , and soon her sobs died down and she found herself only hiccupping occasionally. Looking around at the position she was in, a slight blush of embarrassment for her break-down over the incident cover her cheeks. She wasn't used to crying like this, especially in front of an unfamiliar person. Standing up, she brushed off the dirt from the back of her dress, and wiped away the tear stains from her puffy face. Looking at the now standing man, she gave him a shaky "Thank you." He returned her words with a small smile. Unsure of what to do next, she gave him a nervous "My name is Ami, yours?"  
  
"Trowa."  
  
"Well, thank you Trowa." Looking in his eyes, she saw that they looked calm, but behind that showed emotion. She saw fear (for her?) and acres of loneliness inside the depths of his eyes. His eyes almost seemed to reflect hers; drowning in his emotions and past and she instinctively trusted his eyes and decided, against her better logic. "Would you like to come to my house? For some hot chocolate, as a way to better show my gratitude."  
  
"You would trust me?"  
  
Nodding slightly, "I can see it in your eyes that you are in no way like that man; plus I would really appreciate someone to walk me home now, more then ever, and who better than my savior?" Ami's mind was at war. How could she allow this man to follow her? This... stranger? She hated meeting new people and how could she know she could trust him? Why did she want to trust him? Her mind finally came to a conclusion as her blue-eyes stared at him seconds before they began to walk. She wanted to trust, to believe him, to let him become more to her then just a stranger because she wanted something hopeful in her life. She wanted a bright future, and not one shrouded in darkness and maybe, just maybe, this guardian stranger could give it to her.  
  
Walking down the sidewalk, she could feel Trowa's presence next to her. She felt comforted by him just being next there, and she felt no need to break the silence and start talking. A small smile graced her face and her soul felt at peace next to him, walking step by step closer to her house. So felt so serene that she had almost forgotten how cold the night air was; until the wind picked up again and she found herself shivering slightly. Only a few more blocks of this, her mind told her, but then the stranger silently put his green jacket over her shoulder. Her legs were still freezing, but at least now her upper body felt warmer as she slid her arms into the jacket. Turing to him, she gave him a dazzling smile as her eyes lit up with warmth because of this kind act. She resisted the temptation to hug him, knowing that he had given up his own warmth for hers.  
  
Another block passed by and finally Ami had thought of something she wished to ask this man. "Trowa, why are you not celebrating tonight?" Such a kind man should be out celebrating with his wonderful, compassionate, beautiful girlfriend tonight, her mind thought. He shouldn't just be jogging around in the cold darkness.  
  
He shrugged at the answer. Turning to him slightly, she glanced at his uncovered eye and this time felt like she was being pulled into their lonely depths. Her breath caught in her throat until he turned his gaze away, and forward. "Why were you out jogging so late then?" A second passed and a slight gasp escaped her lips. "Oh, I hope I am not keeping you from anything. You know, making you walk me home and all." Her words came out all flustered and worried that she might be stalling this beautiful stranger.  
  
His head shock a no. "I don't see the point of celebrating today." His words came out emotionless but thoughtful. She could tell he wasn't a man of many words, but in some sense, neither was she.  
  
Giving him another uncharacteristically huge smile, she laughed faintly. "Neither do I- that's why I left my friends at a club and decided to walk home."  
  
She glanced back down at the sidewalk, and pulled the jacket closer to her body as the wind picked up again. The world became silent once again, neither of them in thought but just at peace being near each other. Looking up, Ami noticed that they had arrived at her apartment. Hiding a frown, she knew that it was coming closer to the time she would have to say good-bye to this man; she feared that she would never see him again. Opening the first door, and then unlocking the second door, she pushed it open. "Come on in. I'll go start the hot chocolate as soon as we're upstairs." She gave him a nervous smile. Walking past her, up the first flight of stairs, he waited for her to go around him there and lead him to the third floor apartment she was in. Unlocking this door, she smiled at him as both of them entered.  
  
"Take a seat. Make yourself comfortable," she hurryingly said as she rushed into the kitchen and started the hot chocolate.  
  
The apartment was very small, and very clean. He sat down on the couch in the living area of the house and faced the television. He could hear her walking around in the enclosed kitchen just a few feet away from him. His forlorn eyes stared off behind the television and into the wall.  
  
Fifteen minutes passed and finally Ami stepped out of the kitchen, half-smiling as she held two mugs of hot chocolate in her hand. Setting them down on the table, which was in-between the kitchen and the living area, she walked over to Trowa and glanced down at him. Putting a hand on his arm, she felt a weird pleasurable yet shocking vibe run up and down her spine. "Come on, we can drink it over there."  
  
Her eyes looked down at his now tilted face. She could see his one shining green eye and she suddenly felt the urge to see both of them. Moving forward, against the wishes of her logical brain, she pushed away his brown bangs and looked down at both his emerald eyes, becoming lost in them.  
  
They both gazed at each other, moving closer and closer to the other lonely soul. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, their lips meet and he pulled her into his arms. Around them the whole world seemed to have stopped, though cheers and 'Happy New Year' could be heard through the walls. Blinking, they broke the kiss and Ami found herself straddling his lap. Leaning into his chest, she could hear his heart beat and she felt as if the loneliness in both their hearts and minds had finally left them.  
  
Maybe he was the One that she had been searching for all night. The One that would make her depression go away and make her feel alive and happy again. And maybe, just maybe there was hope for humanity and life. Hope for the future.  
  
Breaking her thoughts, she pulled away from his chest and looked up at his face. She could see a small knowing smile gracing his features as she leaned in for another kiss. This time, the kiss became more passionate and the steaming hot chocolate sitting on the table was completely forgotten until they found it cold and bitter late the next morning.  
  
-*-The End-*- 


End file.
